Refrigerating system



Jl 1ne 10, 1930. VAN DEVENTER 1,763,281

REFRIGERATING SYSTEM Filed Sept. 28, 1923 '3 Sheets-Sheet 1 11.11. Van fievenler W NESS P I INVENTOR t /1, BY

ATTORNEY June 10, 1930. H. R. VAN DEVENT ER REFRIGERATING SYSTEM Filed Sept. 28, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR XQZ HR. Van De venler WITNESS ATTORNEY June 10, 1930. H. R. VAN DEVENTER REFRIGERATING SYSTEM- 3 Sheets- Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 28, 1923 HR Von Bevan/er INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented June 10, 1930 warren sra'ras HARRY 3. VAN DE'VENTEB, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE ELEC PATENT OFFICE TRIC AND IHAIN'U1AG'JFIIJRING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA nnrarcnaarme sys'rmr Application filed September as, 1923. Serial No. 665,438.

My invention relates to refrigerating systems, particularly'to's'y'stems in which a plurality of refrigerating machines of the household type is employed, and it has for an ob- Ject to providea system of the character designated which shall be capable of operation at a very low cost and which shall permit in- 'dividual supervision of each machine. has for a further object, to include in such system, a common means for supplying both' a motive fluid and a condensing fluid to the several refrigeratingmachines and it has for a still further object to provide a method and thefluid discharged from the machines an for so treating the discharged fluid that it may be re-employed in the system.

These and other objects, which will be made a parent throughout the further-description o. my invention, may be attained by the employment of the apparatus hereinafter de' scribed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig.1 is a diagrammatic illustration of a refrigerating system arranged in accordance with my invention; Flg. 2 IS a View, In sectional elevatlon, of the motor and condensing chamber of a single refrigerating machine and illustrates a method of conveying motive and condensing fluids thereto; Fig. 3 is a view'similar to Fi 2 and illustrates a second method of conveying motive and condensing fluids to the refrigerating machine; Fig. 4 is a view, in sectional ele vation, of the condensing chamber of a re frigerating machine which isequipped with tailed description of my IIIVGIllZlOIl, I show 1n tor box and Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic ar-v rangement of an automatic means for regulating the flow of the fluid to the condensing coils of the refrigerating machine in response to variations in the pressure occurring within apartment houses wherein personal or indi-' vidual' control over each refrigerator is desirable. Machines of this character may employ from ten. to eighteen gallons of water per hour for refrigerant condensing pur poses, the cost of which is' a very important item in the total operating char es of the -system. Furthermore, the water ischarged from the several refrigerators, if not reclaimed, produces a constant demand upon the water resources of the municipality.

In my im roved system, I collect the water discharged y the several refrigerating machines and treat'it to reduce its temperature, after whichit is conveyed to a reservoir and may be recirculated through the system. In this manner, the only extraneous water which enters the system is thatwhich is required to compensate for such losses as may be Incurred by evaporation, leakage, etc., thereby effecting a considerable saving in the operating costs.

These costs may be 'further reduced by equipping each of the individual refrigerators with water motors in lieu of the usually employed electric motor, whereupon the -w'ater conveyed to eachrefrigerator may be pumped through the motor prior to its entrance into the condensing coll. I

Referrin to the drawings'for a more de- Fig. 1, a water storage tank 10 having an out-.- let 11 to which is connected a circulating pump 12. The discharge of the circulating pump 12 communicates through a mam supply conduit 13 and a plurality of branch sup- 1y conduits 14 with the respective water 1nllit' connections of a plurality of refrigerators 15. As shown in Fig. 2, the refrigerator 15 includes a storage box 16 above which Is disosed a condensing chamber 17 The con- Sensing chamber 17 comprises a hell or dome 18 which is mounted upon a base 19. Housed within the base 19 is a water motor 21 which refrigerant compressor 23. Provided within the condensing chamber 17 is a plurality of coils 24 for condensing the refrigerant vapor discharged by the compressor 23. The water is conveyed by the branch supply conduit 14 to an inlet connection 25 of the motor 21, and, upon being discharged therefrom, is conveyed by a conduit 26 to the condensing coils 24. Upon being discharged from the condensing coils 24 of the several refrigerators, the water is conveyed by the respective branch return conduits 27 to a mainreturn conduit 28, by which it is conveyed to a water cooler 29, as illustrated in Fig. 1. The water cooler 29 may be of any well-known type but is preferably of such construction as to be adapted to be installed in some exposed position Where the natural currents of airare sufficient to reduce the temperature of the water the required amount.

The water drains back from the cooler 29 through a conduit 30 to thestorage tank 10. For supplying additional fluid to the storage tank, a make-up connection 31 is provided by means of which extraneouswater enters the system. The flow of the Water through the conduit 31 is controlled by means of a valve 32 which is actuated by a float 33, thereby maintaining a constant body of water within the tank at all times. For insuring against the accumulation of an excessive pressure in the main supply conduit 13, a relief valve 35 is provided which connects through a conduit 36 with the main supply conduit 13 and the main returnconduit 30. The relief valve 35 is biased to a closed position, but

upon the accumulation of a predetermined pressure in the main supply conduit 13, it opens to permit a portion of the waterto flow to the storage tank 10.

The operation of the above system is as follows: The circulating pump 12 removes Water from the storage tank 10 and discharges it. under pressure to the main supply conduit 13. It is then distributed through the several branch supply conduits 14 as motive fluid to the water motors 21. Each of the water motors 21 actuates by means of the shaft 22, a compressor 23 which thereupon of the branch return conduit 27 to the main return conduit 28, which in turn discharges 1t to the cooling tower 29. The water to be cooled is distributed at the top of the cooler and falls down in such manner that a large surface of the water is exposed to the air currents. The water is'cooled partly by the evaporation of a portion of its volume and partly by conduction of some of the heat to the air, and is returned by means of the conduit 30 to the storage tank 10 at substantially its original temperature. Should at any time the level of the Water in the storage tank fall be low that indicated because of leakage or evaporation losses, the float 33 moves to open the valve 32 to permit'extraneous water to enter the tank until such time as the required working level has been reached.

By the employment of the above system, the extraneous water which enters the system is only a very small percentage of the amount of water passing through the system, and a material saving in the operating cost is consequently effected. By substituting a Water motor for the usual electric motor and at the same time providing a circulating pump capable of discharging at an increased pressure, the electric connections may be dis pensed with and a further saving in operating costs effected by the employment of a single fluid for both driving the refrigerating machines and for condensing the refrigerant vapor.

Under some conditions of operation, it may be advisable to circulate a required amount of Water through the motor, irrespective of the amount circulated through the condens ing coils. This may be readily accomplished by an arrangement, such as is shown in Fig. 3, in which the water is conveyed in parallel, by means of the conduits 50 and 51, to the condensing coil 24 and the motor 21 respectively. An orifice 52, or any other equivalent means, may be provided in the conduit 50 to regulate the amount of water passing through the coil and also to prevent a by-passing of the motor. Conduits 53 and 54 are provided for returning the water to the branch conduit 27.

. Should it be desired to employ individual electric motors for the several refrigerators -1n order to record the amount of energy consumed by each, my system may be readily adapted to supply water to the condensing coils only. As shown in Fig.- 4, 60 represents an electric motor whichis housed within a fluid-tight casing 61. The motor together with its casing is disposed within the condensing chamber 17, the remaining portion of the apparatus being similar to that shown and described in relation to Figs. 2 and 3. In this latter embodiment, the branch supply conduit 14 andthe branch return conduit 27 connect with the condensing coil 24 only.

Refrigerators of the household type, such as are usually employed in my system, oftt mes operate intermittently, that is, a period of activity of from one and one-fourth to one and one-half hours is followed by a period of inactivity of from one and one-half hours to two hours, the length of the periods depending upon the duty imposed upon the refrigerator. The provision of suitable devices for controlling the flow of the motive fluidto the motors in response to the temperatures prevailing within the respective refrigerator boxes is therefore advisable. I, therefore, provide in the conduit 51 for supplying water to the motor, as shown in Fig. 5, a balanced valve 71 of any well-known type which is slightly biased to a closed position and which may be actuated by a fluid actuated bellows 72 connected through a conduit 7 3 to a bulb 74 containing an expansible fluid and disposed in the interior of the refrigerator box 16. Upon a predetermined increase in the temperature prevailing within the refrigerator box, the liquid in the bulb 74 expands and elongates'the" bellows 72, thereby opening the valve 71 and permitting the water to-fiow to the motor. Upon suificient reduction in temperature, the contraction of the fluid permits the valve to close.

In view of the small amount of water consumed in the operation of my system, I prefer, asshown in Fig. 5, notto control the flow of water to the condensing coils 24, as I have found that, by maintaining the condensing chamber at arelatively low tempera. ture during the inactive perid, the duration of the latter is materially prolonged, thereby effecting a saving in the amountof energy consumed by the motive means. Should it be desired, however, to control the flow of water to both the condensing coil and the-motor, I may, by locating the balanced valve 71 in the branch supply conduit 14 as shown in Fig. (i obtain the desired results. After passing through the valve 71, the fluid is conveyed by the conduit 14 to the'motor, from whence it is conveyed by the conduit 26 to the con- (lensing coil'and thence back to the return main by the branch conduit 27. Should it be desired to circulate the water through the motor and condensing coil in parallel, instead of series, this may be readily accomplished.

In refrigerating systems employing individual electric motors, and inwhich the water circulated isem loyed for-condensing purposesonly, I pre or to regulate the flow of the water in response to the pressure prevailing within the condensing chamber. This may be readily accomplished by the employment of a control device 81, such as illustrated in Fig.7, which control device was disclosed in a co ending application of A. A. Kucher and, M Terry, Serial No. 650,670, filed July 10, 1923, and entitled Fluid control mechanism. Broadly speaking, the device includes a casing 82 having a water inlet connection 83 and a water outlet connection 84. The branch supply conduit 14; is connected to the inlet 83 while the outlet connection 84 is connectedto the condensing coil of the refrigerator by a conduit 85. The flow of the water through the outlet connection Si is controlled by means of a valve 86 which is actuated by a Bourdon tube 87. The Bourdon tube 87 is connected by means of a conduit 88 with the condensing chamber of the refrigerator. Pressure generated within the condensing chamber is conveyed to the Bourdon tube, which tends to straighten itself, thereby removing the valve 86 from its seat. The ex"- tent of the valve opening being proportional tothe pressure prevailing within the condensing chamber, the flow of the water is so imposed by the prior art or as are specifically set forth in the appended claims. lVhat I claimis:

1. In a refrigerating system, the combination of a plurality of refrigerating machines provided with condensing means, a common means for. circulating and recirculating a --combined motive and condensing fluid to the several refrigerating machines, and means for cooling the combined motive and condensing fluid.

2. In a refrigerating system, the combination of a plurality of refrigerating ma'chines each having a motor and a condensing chamber, a common means for conveying a motive and condensing fluid to the several refrigerating machines, a common means for collecting the fluid discharge from the motors and the condensing chambers of the several refrigen ating machines, a pumping unit interposed between the collecting. means andthe conveying means, whereby the fluid may be again conveyed-to the motors and condensing chambers of. the several refrigerating machines, and means for cooling the motiveand condensing fluid. r 3. In a refrigerating system, the Combinetion of a plurality of refrigerating machines having condensing means associated there with, a system for distrlbuting a combined motive and condensing-fluid to the several refrigerating machines, a system for collecting the fluid discharged by the several refrigcrating machines, means forcooling the collected fluid, means for leading the cooled fluid to thedistributing system, and means for supplying such additional extraneous fluid to the system as is required to compensate for losses incurred in operation.

4. In a refrigerating system, the combination of a plurality of refrigerating machines, a reservoir for the storage of motive and condensing fluid, pumping means for removing the fluid from the reservoir, a supply conduit for distributing the fluid discharged by the pumping means to the several refrigerating machines, a return conduit for collecting the fluid discharged by the several refrigerating machines, a cooler for reducing the tempera ture of the collected fluid, means for conveying the fluid from the cooler to the reservoir, means for admitting extraneous fluid to the reservoir, and means for controlling the flow of the extraneous fluid.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribe'd my name this 14th day of September, 1923.

HARRY R. VAN DEVENTER. 

